Tempered V: Making Three
by CSI Clue
Summary: House, Cuddy and Lily are all learning to work it out, with help from the Farber.
1. Chapter 1

The birth had become the stuff of legend, goaded on by House's glares, scowls and silence; for a few weeks conversations stopped when he entered the cafeteria or lounge. He gloried in the ability to make nurses stare over their shoulders at him, and the custodial staff move out of his way.

Cuddy didn't talk about it much either, and that helped add to the mystique. Once she and Lily had been checked in, checked up and checked out, she kept away from Princeton-Plainsboro, sequestering herself away at Blue Brook Dairy for the duration of her maternity leave. House himself stopped in only once every few days, mostly to prowl around and ignore his mail; Cameron chided him.

"You have to bring one. All dads have at least one."

"Not me."

"Some of us would like to SEE her," Cameron persisted with a grin that twisted away under House's direct stare.

"Why?"

"Why? Because she's your daughter."

"And you want to see if she's got stubble, or excellent taste in music? She's a small pink blob in a onesie most of the time, with no more personality than a can of chickpeas. When she's not latched on to the two-tap milk bar, she's sleeping or filling her diapers. Come to think of it, that's not a bad gig, actually," House looked thoughtful. "I'd do it, if it wasn't for the hair bows and booties."

"Hair bows? Does she have hair?" Cameron asked wistfully.

House shook his head. "As bald above as Chase is below—"

"House!" Cameron huffed, her cheeks going red.

House snorted. "In any case, no, I haven't got a photo, and before you ask, I'm not passing out cigars, either. I'm not about to waste a perfectly good box of Cohibas among people who couldn't, or wouldn't appreciate them."

"Fine. Maybe I'll just stop in myself and see how Cuddy's doing then," Cameron commented firmly. "And bring some chocolate while I'm at it."

House shot her a glare of grudging admiration. "Devious. But you've got to make it through the Austrian High Command first, so I think not, rookie. The Farber is determined that ninety percent of visitors Shall Not Pass, you know."

"Austrian chocolates. And a skein of fluffy pink wool," Cameron persisted. "Angora, soft as the baby rabbits it was combed from."

House winced.

Before Cameron could press her advantage, the door to the Diagnostic office opened and a huge bouquet of flowers walked in. Or rather, was carried, blocking out the delivery man behind it. Suspicious, House rose from his desk and ambled around to look at the towering rise of roses, carnations, baby's breath and tulips, all in various degrees of pink.

"So?" Cameron asked, signing for the flowers.

House plucked the card from somewhere among the blooms and opened it. "Congratulations on the successful delivery of your Lily-chan."

"From Mr. Hinoshu," Cameron guessed brightly. House shot her a withering look.

"No, it's from Professor Oak." Before Cameron could question him on who that was, he strode past the bouquet adding over his shoulder, "get rid of it. Don't care how, just do it."

House moved on down the hall, tucking the note into his pocket. There was more on the card; characters that although polite enough, carried another meaning to them. He made his way to Wilson's office and entered, not bothering with the niceties of knocking.

Wilson looked up from his record-keeping and sighed. "Let me guess—Cuddy kicked you out."

"Nope. I'm doing my bit for domestic harmony by staying the hell out of her way during prime time," House replied, his attention focusing on the file on Wilson's desk. "Who's your patient?"

"Teenager with leukemia. Last round of chemo, seems to be working," Wilson revealed, closing the folder up. "What are you doing here, really?"

House paused, and then looked around the office, which put Wilson on the immediate alert. He narrowed his gaze, his suspicion evident in his look. "House?"

"Hinoshu sent flowers," House muttered in a low voice. "Along with a request that he be made godfather."

Wilson's considerable eyebrows went up. "Godfather? House, neither you nor Cuddy are particularly . . . religious."

"Precisely. And I'm not going to cater to the whims of Bank of the East, even though that's exactly what Cuddy is going to want to do to keep the goodwill and cash flowing."

"So . . . he wants to be Lily's . . . Godfather? Is Hinoshu even Christian?" Wilson wondered aloud. House shot him an irritated glare and moved towards the window, staring out of it morosely.

"No. But he wants some lasting connection to Cuddy, and he's using this opportunity to make one. He's phrased it in such a way that to turn him down would be insulting. Sneaky . . . . I have to respect that about the old boy."

"So . . . " Wilson asked delicately, "What are you going to do?" House didn't answer right away, but eventually he turned from the window and managed a grim smile. Wilson blinked, feeling new trepidation at the sight of it. "House--"

"I think," he murmured, "That a trip to Hawaii might be in order."

He left, and Wilson looked after him, shaking his head as he twirled his pen in his long fingers. "Of course. That's the solution right there. Whenever an outside threat looms, run to our fiftieth state. Why didn't I think of that?"

00oo00oo00

When he walked in, the house was quiet. The Christmas tree was lit up, and House could smell something vaguely stew-like in the air. He looked over at the recliner, and saw Cuddy curled up there, one full, perky breast exposed, humming a little. Her hair was back in a ponytail, and her attention was focused on the slightly squirmy bundle cradled along her arm. She glanced up at him as he approached.

He looked down at the pair of them. "Out of my chair."

"Dad's home," Cuddy grumbled to the baby, and grudgingly began to clamber out of the recliner. House took Lily, bringing her up to his shoulder, absently cradling her head as he watched Cuddy rise and stretch.

"She done?"

"Yep. She'll need a burping though," Cuddy warned, her smile soft. "Want a rag?"

House took it grudgingly, having already experienced the warm gush of spit-up more than once in the past week. He carefully settled himself down into his recliner, managing to balance the baby as he did so. Cuddy did up her nursing bra and closed her blouse, then put her hands on her hips. "Mind if I go take a quick shower?"

"Where's Marlena?"

"Taking the dog for a walk down to the creek and back," Cuddy replied. She was very careful not to comment about the way House had Lily against his shoulder, his big hand lightly rubbing her back, even though the sight left her feeling inordinately tender towards them both. "Shower?"

House nodded. He waited until he heard the elevator rise up, and then carefully pulled Lily away from his shoulder, studying her. The baby blinked at him and he sighed. "So. Anything new with you?"

She didn't answer, and chose to mouth one tiny fist, bubbles of milky drool building at the corners of her mouth. House smiled briefly, his dimples deep as he watched her for a moment, easing out his right leg along the extended recliner. He rested the baby against his stomach and let her curl her little fingers around his index finger. "Yeah, you're working on a diaper load; I can tell. I'll give you a buck to wait until Nana 'Lena gets back."

Lily yawned, and halfway through, belched loudly, making House grin once more. He wiped her mouth with the rag. "Nice one—your mom teach you that?"

Before she could fret much, House had brought Lily back up to his shoulder and begun to rub her back again through the bunny-covered onesie, humming a little. It wouldn't take long—he and Cuddy had this down now: she'd do the feeding, and he'd do the burping in the evenings. Generally Lily cooperated by eating and belching and usually falling asleep on his shoulder while he took in a journal or a racing form.

It was just something to do, he told himself. For some reason Lily seemed to like him, and that was okay. Even when she cried she liked him—House could tell. It wasn't personal, and he suspected if he had pants full of crap or a sore belly he would cry too.

Come to think of it, he'd been in both situations during the infarction and he'd certainly cried then, not that anybody knew it.

He shifted the warm weight of the baby closer to his neck, and looked to the table for something to read. When Mrs. Farber came into the living room fifteen minutes later, she found him still holding Lily, his concentration focused primarily on the latest issue of _The New England Journal of Medicine_. House looked up, scowling. "What?"

"You look—" Marlena began, but he glared at her.

"--Don't say it," he hissed. "The C word is verboten in this context, nich wahr?"

Mrs. Farber drew herself up playfully. "—Tired, zat vos vhat I vas goink to say. Here, gif her to me."

House tried to look at the baby nestled against the side of his throat without disturbing her; a comical twist of neck and eyes that made Mrs. Farber fight hard against a smile. "She's fine where she is. What's cooking?"

"Meat loaf oont potatoes. Gif me ze baby."

"Back off, she's fine," House grumbled. "You can have her when she's crying or bottom-heavy; that's the deal. When do we eat?"

"Anytime," Mrs. Farber sighed, and settled onto the sofa. The puppy wandered into the living room and circled around, then came over and laid down next her, resting the underside of his jaw on top of her sturdy, sensible shoes. She looked over at House and waited.

Marlena Farber was a general expert in several things: home economics, crochet, mid-capital investing, Sudoku. But the one topic she knew with pinpoint accuracy was Greg House. From the set of his shoulders to the flex of his fingers around the edge of the journal, she knew he was preoccupied this evening, and further, that whatever was on his mind was personal, not professional.

When House was working on something medical, his shoulders stayed relaxed, and he made a beeline for his music. He'd always been that way. When he was caught up in something more personal though, his agitation showed in several small tells.

To ask him would be useless; better to wait and let whatever was bothering him rise to the surface, so she did. Carefully Mrs. Farber picked up the tiny sweater she was crocheting and settled in, biding her time. For a while, all was quiet, with the distant sound of Cuddy's shower filtering through the peace, but finally House shifted and set his journal down.

"Do you remember Futenma?"

Puzzled, Marlena nodded. She remembered the years on Okinawa clearly, although they weren't the most pleasant. It had been difficult to keep Greg and his father from constantly clashing, and Blythe's depression had gotten worse at that point, exacerbated by the isolation of life away from the States. The only true highlight of that tour had been the afternoon Greg had come home and with a firm look on his face, announced he wanted to be a doctor.

"Ja. Vot about it?"

"Naminouegu," he murmured, looking thoughtful.

Mrs. Farber narrowed her eyes and looked over the top of her glasses at him. "Is ziss about Doctor Tanako?"

House shook his head. "No. I was thinking more about the shrine, but there are a few closer—one in Washington, and a few in Hawaii. Where would you rather go?"

She shrugged. "If I must choose between rrrain oont Macadamia nuts—Havaii off course. Mit sunscreen."

"Wilson will give us gallon jugs," House groused in realization, then lowered his voice when Lily stirred a little. "Hawaii then. End of March."

Mrs. Farber said nothing, her mind running through all sorts of reasons that fell short of logic. Traveling with a newborn would be difficult, and for that much of a distance hard on everyone . . . on the other hand, March in New Jersey was cold, blustery and dreary; the appeal of sun and sand would grow the longer winter stretched on.

She paused and eyed him keenly. House ignored her. "Are you goint to gif me a rrreason?"

"No. And no telling the She-Beast either," House muttered. "This needs to be handled delicately---" as the words left his mouth, his nose wrinkled up and he shot a distressed glare at the diapered bottom along his clavicle. "—Annnnnd we have payload. Dear God, do the biochemical weapon teams know about this?"

"Bunny drrrroppings," Mrs. Farber chided with a roll of her eyes. "Hardly even a smmmudge."

"Not my department," House declared firmly, and began to gently detach his daughter, who whimpered in a tiny fretful tone that made the puppy look up anxiously. Mrs. Farber rose and came over, deftly scooping Lily up and soothing her, shooting House a mock-glare as she did so.

"A big-shot grown man afrrrraid of a little doody---" she chided, carrying Lily to the sofa and reaching for the changing bag.

House looked slightly sulky. "It's not 'a little', and I'm not afraid of it. I'm _repulsed_ by it."

Mrs. Farber muttered under her breath in German; House reached for his cane and climbed out of the recliner. "I was too toilet-trained when you were hired—stop spreading lies, old woman."

"Schtop being a . . . a . . . prrrrrissy pants, zen," Mrs. Farber told him firmly, her hands working quickly to re-diaper tiny Lily. House shot her an incredulous look.

"That's the best you can come up with? A prissy-pants? Gah!" Turning away, House stomped his way to the elevator. "Losing your edge, Marlena—"

She chuckled softly when he was out of sight, and picked up Lily, smiling at the little one indulgently. "Up ve go, liebling häschen mädchen—"

House reached the upper floor and stepped out, making his way into the master bedroom, half-amused and half-annoyed with Mrs. Farber. He stopped at the sight of Cuddy leaning against the doorway, looking pale and unsteady. "Lisa."

"I'm fine . . . just stayed a little too long under the water . . . " she told him in a low voice, flashing him a tired smile. "Nothing serious."

"Go to bed," he told her gently but firmly. "Stretch out. You need to rest."

She arched an eyebrow at him suspiciously. "You're not the evil twin I married—what happened to the REAL Greg House?"

He shot a quick look over his shoulder at the elevator and then glanced back at her. "Can I play with your bigger breasts?"

Cuddy laughed. "That's more like it—for a minute I thought you were going all compassionate and caring on me there. No."

"Not even a little?" House wheedled, staring at the damp cleavage peeking out above the towel wrapped around her frame.

Cuddy shook her head and moved past him to the dresser in the bedroom, pulling open the top drawer. "Sorry, they've become working girls."

"Crap," House muttered. "I consider that an unfair tease, you know. There's a reason bust rhymes with lust."

"Greg—" Cuddy turned around and pulled a tee-shirt over herself; he recognized it as one of his, "--Get real. Sorry to do this to you, but we're back to third base for you for a while here, okay? Hands on and lip service sure, but it's going to be a while before we get back to rumpy pumpy."

He rolled his eyes, but his smirk was still in place. "I know, I was there—before AND after, as you may recall. All I'm asking is—can I see the casabas just once, without a baby attached?"

Cuddy's mouth twisted as she tried not to laugh; the soft little plead in House's voice was nearly impossible to resist. She motioned to the bed. "Sit. Let's get this over with."

House shifted and sat on the edge of the mattress, setting his cane down and eyeing her expectantly. Cuddy came closer and grasped the edge of her tee-shirt, pulling it back up and over her head. "Fine. Here they are—" she announced.

He cocked his head and stared, not blinking. Cuddy wasn't sure what to do with her arms, and awkwardly twisted them up behind her head. House drew in a breath and leaned closer, his breath hot on her skin. "Whoa."

"Stop it—" She muttered, embarrassed and yet pleased, too. House slipped one hand behind her slender back and pulled her closer. "—House!"

"You . . . " he breathed very softly, in a voice meant only for her ears, " . . . Are beautiful."

"W-wh-what?" Cuddy stammered in confusion. House bent his head and lightly kissed each breast, then reached for the shirt and tossed it aside.

"You're beautiful. But get your own shirts—I'm not going to have you stretching mine out."

"You!" Cuddy growled, but House kept his hands behind her back and pulled her to him again, his nose going into the warm cleft of her bare cleavage.

"Oh yeah—" came his muffled exclamation. "Not crazy about sharing, but if I get a grope in now and then, I'm good."

Cuddy balled her fists, but slowly, gently she slid her arms around his shoulders to hug him. House turned his face to rest his cheek against one breast.

She and he stayed that way for a while.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Mrs. Farber looked up, frowning slightly. She was on a particularly tricky section of the baby sweater she was making, and the soft sounds of _Brahms's Lullaby_ had caught her ear as she unraveled her yarn and cursed softly in German. Cocking an ear, she listened again, and the distinct but faint sound of a violin drifted through the room, sweet and soft.

She looked over at the crib, and just at that moment, Lily gave a little snuffle, kicking a bit in her slumber. Marlena smiled and set the knitting aside. She rose and came over to the crib, peeking in at the baby and giving a sigh. "Do you hear it too, mein liebling? Ze violine?" she whispered.

The baby said nothing, and Marlena leaned on the rail a moment longer, smiling. Then she straightened up and rubbed her hands a moment, fighting the ache in them that winter always brought. Her thoughts turned to Hawaii.

House still hadn't told Cuddy.

Marlena sighed to herself, and glanced out the windows of the nursery, through the lovely green sheers dotted with little bunnies, to the snow, still covering the back yard. It was melting now, but there was still enough on the ground to insure it was winter. They hadn't had a storm to match the one right before Lily's birth, but enough snow had come down to keep the temperatures low.

Hawaii sounded wonderful.

The rumble of the motorcycle echoed, breaking into her thoughts, and Marlena moved to the window, looking out. The Repsol was moving up the drive, and she gritted her teeth looking at it. Greg was always taking risks, but this one annoyed her particularly, and she turned away to calm herself before blowing a kiss to Lily and heading for the elevator.

As she stepped out, House came in, looking especially gleeful. "We need to start packing. And by that I mean you need to start packing, because our flight leaves in about four hours."

Marlena looked over the top of her glasses at him. "Vot about Lisa? I'm not pecking von single diaper until I hear from her."

House scowled. "Oh ye of little faith! She's good with it. Raring to go, in fact."

This was by far one of the biggest lies he'd ever attempted yet, and Marlena was amused at the way he twitched as he said it. She crossed her arms. "Oh really."

"Okay, she may not be completely sold, but she's willing to go, and you can't deny that a change of scenery would be beneficial for her. All of us, in fact." House mumbled, rubbing his hands a bit. "Is the Imp up yet?"

"No."

"Good, I'll go wake her." House decided, lurching for the elevator. Marlena protested, but he was quick, pushing the button before she could work up a righteous growl. She watched the car ascend, sighed, and made her way to the kitchen to whip up a To Do list.

House stepped out and turned to the nursery door, carefully opening it and peering in. The room was warm cozy, with only the thin winter light coming through the green sheers. House lumbered over to the crib and peered down at the little sleeper in her flannel romper. He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze both sharp and soft; noting her breathing, her posture, her peacefulness.

"Hey Beelzababy. Time to get up."

Gently he leaned over the lowered railing and scooped her up; Lily whimpered a little, eyes opening slowly as he brought her up to his chest, and she blinked in her slow fashion, small bow mouth opening in a yawn. House brought her closer, until his nose nearly touched her tiny button one. "You . . . stink."

Lily didn't take this personally; she worked her mouth a bit and continued to stare back. Her feet kicked, and House sighed.

He carted her over to the changing table, setting her gently on the pad there, and unzipping the romper. "So, interested in a trip to Hawaii? I know you can't exactly swim, or surf or do much of anything except be an overdressed doorstop, but I have an ulterior motive, and you're right in the center of it, Imp. All I ask is that you try not to be too much of a pain in the ass on the flights. Think you can keep the screaming and the pudding production to a minimum?"

Lily kicked again once the old diaper was off, and House wiped her down expertly before slipping the clean one under her petite bottom. He taped it on and paused for a moment, Lily's small foot in one hand. Furtively, House bent down and kissed the sole, grinning as Lily excitedly pushed her toes against his lips. He repeated the gesture on the other tiny foot, then hurriedly got her legs back into the romper as the door to the nursery opened behind him.

"Give her to me." Cuddy ordered, her tone firm. House picked up the baby and gave a dramatic sigh.

"Damn! If I'd only waited a few minutes longer I could have gotten you to unwrap the Special Surprise Package."

"There's nothing special, or surprising about it," Cuddy replied absently, her expression shifting to pure indulgence as she took Lily into her arms. "Hi Honeybunny. Dad being a big old flatulent butthead?" she cooed.

House stiffened. "I'm not flatulent—that's all her, the princess of Tooterville."

"Yes, well you're still a big old butthead, aren't you?" came the cooing tone. Cuddy looked up from Lily and added, "For the record, I'm dead against this trip, Greg."

"But you're going to go anyway," he predicted confidently, his gaze still on Lily. Cuddy's mouth pursed, and she reluctantly nodded.

"Since I've been coerced into it, yes. Wilson said he'd take the dog while we're gone, and Marlena's already got the packing almost done . . . you know it's not going to be easy, don't you? You thought that trip to Singapore was a pain in the ass—" Cuddy pointed out. House smirked, and leaned closer.

"Not as far; no idiots suffering from the bends this time. Not saying it's going to be a piece of cake, but we'll make it in good time. You are packing a bikini, right?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Like I'm going to parade my Post-Lily body out there among the supermodels. No way."

House said nothing, but a flicker passed over his expression; a hint of frustrated patience that she missed, since her attention was focused on the child in her arms. He pulled back and moved around Cuddy, giving a noisy sigh. "We could always go to the nude beach instead."

He managed a hasty retreat as Cuddy growled at him.

00oo00oo00

Two day later, House settled into the first class seat and closed his eyes. Cuddy was trying to read a paperback, and Marlena had Lily on her shoulder, cooing to the baby, who was fascinated by the hum of the plane. They'd been airborne for almost an hour, destined to reach Honolulu within two more.

So far, the trip had gone smoothly, with only the usual delays through security and the Imp was a natural traveler, House noted. She'd done her part to keep the fussing to a minimum, crying only on take off, and even then, only for a short while. Of course with two grown women at her beck and call she was already pretty pampered, he acknowledged. House was good with it, particularly for the messier and noisier times.

But he did have one gripe about life, post-baby. A minor one in the scheme of things; something almost every other new father went through, post-partum. He'd known it would happen, but the reality of it was still hard to take, even through all the jokes and clichés and observations.

It was . . . annoying. He hadn't realized how acclimated he'd gotten to it, how his body had adjusted to the sweet abundance and regularity of carnality with Cuddy. The combination of hormones and endorphins had helped with the pain of his leg, and the sheer intimacy of time with her let him relax to a greater degree than he had done in years.

House found himself aware of the shift of her focus; the loss of that was understandable in light of a relatively helpless newborn, nevertheless, losing Cuddy's time and attention hurt more than he wanted to admit. He'd counted the weeks patiently, pressing his suit through over the top comments and leers, but when Cuddy didn't respond as expected, he grew worried. Normally she was quick to shoot him down with an eye roll or exasperated huff; he anticipated those.

Instead she would give him a rueful smile and say something about Marlena or Lily needing her. House had watched her walk away from him more than once, feeling confused and frustrated—where was the banter? The cutting remarks? The evil promises?

He had gotten his answer a few days later, spying on her from the hallway to their bedroom. His She-Beast stood before the mirror on the back of the bathroom door, sucking in her stomach, running her hands along her hips and thighs. House had wanted to burst in on her vanity and ogle her properly, but before he could do it, Cuddy had raised her face, and the look in her eyes: misery, depression, even a little fear—had stopped him.

House knew—had always known that Cuddy was vain, but this . . . this was something deeper. Empathy resonated in him, and absently he rubbed his right thigh, suddenly uncomfortable.

More than vanity, yeah. A matter of accepting permanent alteration to one's self. Her breasts were larger, her hips more flared, her ass definitely bigger. For almost any other mother, it would be minor.

For Cuddy, the woman forever fighting to stay lean and trim, it was . . . devastating.

Unacceptable.

Ugly.

House had moved away from the door, aware of the situation in all its ridiculous yet understandable dimensions now, and the first hints of a plan began to formulate in his mind. The arrival of Hinoshu's flowers had furthered the scheme along. Hawaii was the destination, but the goal was much bigger than that, and House hoped the trip would provide the right sort of isolation for what he had in mind.

The Hibiscus Inn Resort was . . . small. It sat just north of Makapuu Beach, a gingerbread mansion of a hotel, slightly lost among the backdrop of towering coconut trees and green lawns. As the driver unloaded the suitcases from the shuttle van, both Cuddy and Marlena oohed and ahhed, showing Lily all the wonders around her. House gave the resort a quick glance, noting with grudging appreciation the discreet ramp alongside the front steps.

Travel was hard enough on his thigh; he'd learned to appreciate easy access over the years. Quietly popping a Vicodin, he looked out across the curved driveway towards the gentle slope beyond the highway, where the beach stretched out towards the blue water. It was a gorgeous view, and he smiled a little, glad to be breathing in warm air. _Goodbye New Jersey . . . at least for two weeks_, he thought, and turned back to look at Cuddy.

She had her sunglasses parked on the top of her head, and was smiling herself, looking in the direction he'd been studying. Cuddy breathed in a deep sigh, and when she met his gaze, she nodded. "It's good."

"Let's check the rooms before we give it our blessing," he replied, moving to the ramp.

The clerk behind the counter in the main lobby was a large chubby-cheeked man with eyes like shiny dark apple seeds, and curly shoulder-length hair. He smiled at them and his grin deepened on seeing Lily. "Oh cute, da bebe," came his deep rumble.

"Thank you," Cuddy smiled proudly.

He looked at all of them for a moment, then introduced himself, tapping a thick forefinger to his broad chest. "Jaspah Kealoha, runnin' heah tings. You be?"

House stared at him. "House, kahuna doc, braddah. Sukebeh too, but you figgur it soon sho. This wakine with the sweet okole is mines one, and dah tutu too."

Jasper's grin widened with each syllable out of House's sardonic mouth, and by the time he'd finished, the clerk was laughing, big booming chuckles rolling out of him. Lily looked slightly alarmed by this new sound.

"What the hell did you just say?" Cuddy whispered out of the side of her mouth to him. House smirked, but the man behind the counter spoke up, his grin wide.

"Damn, for a haole you've got da pidgin down, Doc! Okay, you four fine guests are in da Plumeria Bungalow, Numbah t'ree," he handed over two old-fashioned brass keys, each on a keychain with a plastic plumeria blossom on it. House took them and handed one to Marlena, who tucked hers away. Jasper had already signaled to a slim young man to fetch the suitcases, and came around the counter to lead them to their rooms. He moved gracefully for such a large man, taking them down the ramp again, and off to the left of the main house, towards a bungalow just on the edge of the jungle. Cuddy followed him, Lily in her arms as Marlena carried the baby tote on one arm.

House dropped back to walk with her, trying to keep his voice low as he spoke. "Better than Jersey?"

"Jah," Marlena agreed with a small smile. "Oont varm!"

They reached the bungalow, which also had a low ramp, and stepped onto the porch, which Jasper called the lanai. He ushered them into the living room, pointing out the amenities of big screen TV, fireplace, wet bar and out in the back, a hot tub. "Laundry go inna morning; set dah kine basket out on dah lanai and it be back by afta'noon. You need cah?"

"We're renting one tomorrow," Cuddy told him, wandering into the living room and smiling. "Thank you so much, Jasper, it's beautiful."

"Hibiscus Inn is sure 'nuff primo," the man agreed proudly. With the tiniest of touches to Lily's sock-covered foot, he nodded to them all and made his way out, leaving them standing in the spacious living room.

Marlena took charge. "Vell. I sink it's napsytime for everybody."

"Napsytime?" House snapped. He might have gotten into a glaring contest with Marlena, but Cuddy handed him Lily, which was an unfair distraction. He took her as Cuddy moved to set up the portable crib.

Marlena began moving suitcases into bedrooms.

"Naptime for you while I feed the baby," came the soft comment. "It won't kill you to put your feet up for a while."

House looked down at his daughter, who was wriggling now, clearly hungry and ready to do something about it. Carefully he pinned her against his shoulder and began to move to the sofa. At some point Lily's face brushed the side of his head, and he felt the excited suction of her tiny lips against his ear.

It tickled.

"Ahhg!" House muttered, amused and slightly embarrassed at the same time. He shifted ever so gently to dislodge her, glaring into her expectant face. "Puke in Dad's ear, Imp, and you're sharkbait."

Cuddy was looking at them though, grinning. "She kissed you?"

"She sucked my earlobe. She's not supposed to do that with her father—that's just wrong on so many levels," He complained, wiping the side of his face dramatically as Cuddy took Lily.

"Yes, well considering who she gets half her genetics from," came the absent reply. "Go lie down, Greg—"

He rose, reluctantly, and looked down as Cuddy settled Lily into the crook of her arm, already pulling up her tee shirt and unfastening the nursing bra, the actions automatic and gracefully efficient all at the same time. Lilly fussed a bit, but latched on quickly, settling into deep, bliss as she nursed.

House looked at them for a while, and finally Cuddy lifted her gaze from the baby to him. "You've seen this all before," she mumbled, slightly pink.

He cocked his head. "I know," House replied gently. "But it's a great rerun."


	3. Chapter 3

Mrs. Farber looked up, frowning slightly. She was on a particularly tricky section of the baby sweater she was making, and the soft sounds of _Brahms's Lullaby_ had caught her ear as she unraveled her yarn and cursed softly in German. Cocking an ear, she listened again, and the distinct but faint sound of a violin drifted through the room, sweet and soft.

She looked over at the crib, and just at that moment, Lily gave a little snuffle, kicking a bit in her slumber. Marlena smiled and set the knitting aside. She rose and came over to the crib, peeking in at the baby and giving a sigh. "Do you hear it too, mein liebling? Ze violine?" she whispered.

The baby said nothing, and Marlena leaned on the rail a moment longer, smiling. Then she straightened up and rubbed her hands a moment, fighting the ache in them that winter always brought. Her thoughts turned to Hawaii.

House still hadn't told Cuddy.

Marlena sighed to herself, and glanced out the windows of the nursery, through the lovely green sheers dotted with little bunnies, to the snow, still covering the back yard. It was melting now, but there was still enough on the ground to insure it was winter. They hadn't had a storm to match the one right before Lily's birth, but enough snow had come down to keep the temperatures low.

Hawaii sounded wonderful.

The rumble of the motorcycle echoed, breaking into her thoughts, and Marlena moved to the window, looking out. The Repsol was moving up the drive, and she gritted her teeth looking at it. Greg was always taking risks, but this one annoyed her particularly, and she turned away to calm herself before blowing a kiss to Lily and heading for the elevator.

As she stepped out, House came in, looking especially gleeful. "We need to start packing. And by that I mean you need to start packing, because our flight leaves in about four hours."

Marlena looked over the top of her glasses at him. "Vot about Lisa? I'm not pecking von single diaper until I hear from her."

House scowled. "Oh ye of little faith! She's good with it. Raring to go, in fact."

This was by far one of the biggest lies he'd ever attempted yet, and Marlena was amused at the way he twitched as he said it. She crossed her arms. "Oh really."

"Okay, she may not be completely sold, but she's willing to go, and you can't deny that a change of scenery would be beneficial for her. All of us, in fact." House mumbled, rubbing his hands a bit. "Is the Imp up yet?"

"No."

"Good, I'll go wake her." House decided, lurching for the elevator. Marlena protested, but he was quick, pushing the button before she could work up a righteous growl. She watched the car ascend, sighed, and made her way to the kitchen to whip up a To Do list.

House stepped out and turned to the nursery door, carefully opening it and peering in. The room was warm cozy, with only the thin winter light coming through the green sheers. House lumbered over to the crib and peered down at the little sleeper in her flannel romper. He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze both sharp and soft; noting her breathing, her posture, her peacefulness.

"Hey Beelzababy. Time to get up."

Gently he leaned over the lowered railing and scooped her up; Lily whimpered a little, eyes opening slowly as he brought her up to his chest, and she blinked in her slow fashion, small bow mouth opening in a yawn. House brought her closer, until his nose nearly touched her tiny button one. "You . . . stink."

Lily didn't take this personally; she worked her mouth a bit and continued to stare back. Her feet kicked, and House sighed.

He carted her over to the changing table, setting her gently on the pad there, and unzipping the romper. "So, interested in a trip to Hawaii? I know you can't exactly swim, or surf or do much of anything except be an overdressed doorstop, but I have an ulterior motive, and you're right in the center of it, Imp. All I ask is that you try not to be too much of a pain in the ass on the flights. Think you can keep the screaming and the pudding production to a minimum?"

Lily kicked again once the old diaper was off, and House wiped her down expertly before slipping the clean one under her petite bottom. He taped it on and paused for a moment, Lily's small foot in one hand. Furtively, House bent down and kissed the sole, grinning as Lily excitedly pushed her toes against his lips. He repeated the gesture on the other tiny foot, then hurriedly got her legs back into the romper as the door to the nursery opened behind him.

"Give her to me." Cuddy ordered, her tone firm. House picked up the baby and gave a dramatic sigh.

"Damn! If I'd only waited a few minutes longer I could have gotten you to unwrap the Special Surprise Package."

"There's nothing special, or surprising about it," Cuddy replied absently, her expression shifting to pure indulgence as she took Lily into her arms. "Hi Honeybunny. Dad being a big old flatulent butthead?" she cooed.

House stiffened. "I'm not flatulent—that's all her, the princess of Tooterville."

"Yes, well you're still a big old butthead, aren't you?" came the cooing tone. Cuddy looked up from Lily and added, "For the record, I'm dead against this trip, Greg."

"But you're going to go anyway," he predicted confidently, his gaze still on Lily. Cuddy's mouth pursed, and she reluctantly nodded.

"Since I've been coerced into it, yes. Wilson said he'd take the dog while we're gone, and Marlena's already got the packing almost done . . . you know it's not going to be easy, don't you? You thought that trip to Singapore was a pain in the ass—" Cuddy pointed out. House smirked, and leaned closer.

"Not as far; no idiots suffering from the bends this time. Not saying it's going to be a piece of cake, but we'll make it in good time. You are packing a bikini, right?"

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Like I'm going to parade my Post-Lily body out there among the supermodels. No way."

House said nothing, but a flicker passed over his expression; a hint of frustrated patience that she missed, since her attention was focused on the child in her arms. He pulled back and moved around Cuddy, giving a noisy sigh. "We could always go to the nude beach instead."

He managed a hasty retreat as Cuddy growled at him.

00oo00oo00

Two day later, House settled into the first class seat and closed his eyes. Cuddy was trying to read a paperback, and Marlena had Lily on her shoulder, cooing to the baby, who was fascinated by the hum of the plane. They'd been airborne for almost an hour, destined to reach Honolulu within two more.

So far, the trip had gone smoothly, with only the usual delays through security and the Imp was a natural traveler, House noted. She'd done her part to keep the fussing to a minimum, crying only on take off, and even then, only for a short while. Of course with two grown women at her beck and call she was already pretty pampered, he acknowledged. House was good with it, particularly for the messier and noisier times.

But he did have one gripe about life, post-baby. A minor one in the scheme of things; something almost every other new father went through, post-partum. He'd known it would happen, but the reality of it was still hard to take, even through all the jokes and clichés and observations.

It was . . . annoying. He hadn't realized how acclimated he'd gotten to it, how his body had adjusted to the sweet abundance and regularity of carnality with Cuddy. The combination of hormones and endorphins had helped with the pain of his leg, and the sheer intimacy of time with her let him relax to a greater degree than he had done in years.

House found himself aware of the shift of her focus; the loss of that was understandable in light of a relatively helpless newborn, nevertheless, losing Cuddy's time and attention hurt more than he wanted to admit. He'd counted the weeks patiently, pressing his suit through over the top comments and leers, but when Cuddy didn't respond as expected, he grew worried. Normally she was quick to shoot him down with an eye roll or exasperated huff; he anticipated those.

Instead she would give him a rueful smile and say something about Marlena or Lily needing her. House had watched her walk away from him more than once, feeling confused and frustrated—where was the banter? The cutting remarks? The evil promises?

He had gotten his answer a few days later, spying on her from the hallway to their bedroom. His She-Beast stood before the mirror on the back of the bathroom door, sucking in her stomach, running her hands along her hips and thighs. House had wanted to burst in on her vanity and ogle her properly, but before he could do it, Cuddy had raised her face, and the look in her eyes: misery, depression, even a little fear—had stopped him.

House knew—had always known that Cuddy was vain, but this . . . this was something deeper. Empathy resonated in him, and absently he rubbed his right thigh, suddenly uncomfortable.

More than vanity, yeah. A matter of accepting permanent alteration to one's self. Her breasts were larger, her hips more flared, her ass definitely bigger. For almost any other mother, it would be minor.

For Cuddy, the woman forever fighting to stay lean and trim, it was . . . devastating.

Unacceptable.

Ugly.

House had moved away from the door, aware of the situation in all its ridiculous yet understandable dimensions now, and the first hints of a plan began to formulate in his mind. The arrival of Hinoshu's flowers had furthered the scheme along. Hawaii was the destination, but the goal was much bigger than that, and House hoped the trip would provide the right sort of isolation for what he had in mind.

The Hibiscus Inn Resort was . . . small. It sat just north of Makapuu Beach, a gingerbread mansion of a hotel, slightly lost among the backdrop of towering coconut trees and green lawns. As the driver unloaded the suitcases from the shuttle van, both Cuddy and Marlena oohed and ahhed, showing Lily all the wonders around her. House gave the resort a quick glance, noting with grudging appreciation the discreet ramp alongside the front steps.

Travel was hard enough on his thigh; he'd learned to appreciate easy access over the years. Quietly popping a Vicodin, he looked out across the curved driveway towards the gentle slope beyond the highway, where the beach stretched out towards the blue water. It was a gorgeous view, and he smiled a little, glad to be breathing in warm air. _Goodbye New Jersey . . . at least for two weeks_, he thought, and turned back to look at Cuddy.

She had her sunglasses parked on the top of her head, and was smiling herself, looking in the direction he'd been studying. Cuddy breathed in a deep sigh, and when she met his gaze, she nodded. "It's good."

"Let's check the rooms before we give it our blessing," he replied, moving to the ramp.

The clerk behind the counter in the main lobby was a large chubby-cheeked man with eyes like shiny dark apple seeds, and curly shoulder-length hair. He smiled at them and his grin deepened on seeing Lily. "Oh cute, da bebe," came his deep rumble.

"Thank you," Cuddy smiled proudly.

He looked at all of them for a moment, then introduced himself, tapping a thick forefinger to his broad chest. "Jaspah Kealoha, runnin' heah tings. You be?"

House stared at him. "House, kahuna doc, braddah. Sukebeh too, but you figgur it soon sho. This wakine with the sweet okole is mines one, and dah tutu too."

Jasper's grin widened with each syllable out of House's sardonic mouth, and by the time he'd finished, the clerk was laughing, big booming chuckles rolling out of him. Lily looked slightly alarmed by this new sound.

"What the hell did you just say?" Cuddy whispered out of the side of her mouth to him. House smirked, but the man behind the counter spoke up, his grin wide.

"Damn, for a haole you've got da pidgin down, Doc! Okay, you four fine guests are in da Plumeria Bungalow, Numbah t'ree," he handed over two old-fashioned brass keys, each on a keychain with a plastic plumeria blossom on it. House took them and handed one to Marlena, who tucked hers away. Jasper had already signaled to a slim young man to fetch the suitcases, and came around the counter to lead them to their rooms. He moved gracefully for such a large man, taking them down the ramp again, and off to the left of the main house, towards a bungalow just on the edge of the jungle. Cuddy followed him, Lily in her arms as Marlena carried the baby tote on one arm.

House dropped back to walk with her, trying to keep his voice low as he spoke. "Better than Jersey?"

"Jah," Marlena agreed with a small smile. "Oont varm!"

They reached the bungalow, which also had a low ramp, and stepped onto the porch, which Jasper called the lanai. He ushered them into the living room, pointing out the amenities of big screen TV, fireplace, wet bar and out in the back, a hot tub. "Laundry go inna morning; set dah kine basket out on dah lanai and it be back by afta'noon. You need cah?"

"We're renting one tomorrow," Cuddy told him, wandering into the living room and smiling. "Thank you so much, Jasper, it's beautiful."

"Hibiscus Inn is sure 'nuff primo," the man agreed proudly. With the tiniest of touches to Lily's sock-covered foot, he nodded to them all and made his way out, leaving them standing in the spacious living room.

Marlena took charge. "Vell. I sink it's napsytime for everybody."

"Napsytime?" House snapped. He might have gotten into a glaring contest with Marlena, but Cuddy handed him Lily, which was an unfair distraction. He took her as Cuddy moved to set up the portable crib.

Marlena began moving suitcases into bedrooms.

"Naptime for you while I feed the baby," came the soft comment. "It won't kill you to put your feet up for a while."

House looked down at his daughter, who was wriggling now, clearly hungry and ready to do something about it. Carefully he pinned her against his shoulder and began to move to the sofa. At some point Lily's face brushed the side of his head, and he felt the excited suction of her tiny lips against his ear.

It tickled.

"Ahhg!" House muttered, amused and slightly embarrassed at the same time. He shifted ever so gently to dislodge her, glaring into her expectant face. "Puke in Dad's ear, Imp, and you're sharkbait."

Cuddy was looking at them though, grinning. "She kissed you?"

"She sucked my earlobe. She's not supposed to do that with her father—that's just wrong on so many levels," He complained, wiping the side of his face dramatically as Cuddy took Lily.

"Yes, well considering who she gets half her genetics from," came the absent reply. "Go lie down, Greg—"

He rose, reluctantly, and looked down as Cuddy settled Lily into the crook of her arm, already pulling up her tee shirt and unfastening the nursing bra, the actions automatic and gracefully efficient all at the same time. Lilly fussed a bit, but latched on quickly, settling into deep, bliss as she nursed.

House looked at them for a while, and finally Cuddy lifted her gaze from the baby to him. "You've seen this all before," she mumbled, slightly pink.

He cocked his head. "I know," House replied gently. "But it's a great rerun."


	4. Chapter 4

Marlena wasn't used to sleeping in; usually she was up by six, making coffee and working on breakfast for everyone except Lily. When she opened her eyes to the bright tropical sunlight, she blinked, disoriented. A check of the nightstand clock showed it to be nearly seven forty-five, and with a muttered Austrian curse she sat up, reaching for her glasses.

There was a voice coming from the living room, and as Marlena reached the door, she saw House, stretched out on the sofa, with a diapered Lily on his bare chest, reading something aloud to her from a tourism flyer in his hands.

"Unfortunately, all the nude beaches are on Maui and Oahu, so we may have to settle for topless . . ." he looked up at Marlena, his expression all innocence.

She scowled at him. "I am NOT goint to a . . . nudie beach, Hasi!"

"Well duh," House shot back. "Weren't you listening? They're all on another island."

She sniffed and moved to the kitchen. "Jah. Leg or no leg, you vouldn't be goot to look at eezer. Only Lisa oont Lily vould quvalify."

House looked down at his daughter, who was experimentally gripping his chest hair and looking as if she might try tasting it. "Don't. You won't like it," he warned her seriously. Lily blinked at him, and bobbed her head anyway, drooling.

House winced. "The only person permitted to yank the fur is sleeping in the other room, so lay off," he murmured, setting down the brochure and working little fingers free of their tiny grip. Lily considered crying as her face working into a pout, but House shifted position, sitting up more and rubbed her rounded tummy. It fit into his palm perfectly, and he stroked. Lily sucked on one of her fists and blinked a little, quieting down. He stared at her for a moment.

"I detest babies," he whispered to her, his expression solemn.  
"You're all so incredibly helpless at this point, completely dependent on your caretakers, and incapable of contributing anything to the general conversation. Loud noises scare you, you expect your demands to be met instantly, and you hog all the attention with women, whatever your gender."

Lily ignored him, concentrating on her fingers. House bent and sniffed the top of her head, his breath stirring the delicate, nearly invisible blonde floss there. "But you generally smell good," he admitted with reluctance. "And you don't interrupt, or argue or criticize."

Lily burped, and a warm cascade of milk spilled down her little chest and over House's hand as she looked up at him, astonished over this development. He winced, but Marlena was there within moments to hand him a warm wet dishtowel. She tried not to laugh. "I sink zat was a pretty tellink comment on your judgment, jah?"

He handed the baby over, taking the offered mug of coffee in exchange, sulking slightly.

00oo00oo00

Later that morning they were ferried across the road to the beach, joining the other folks setting out for a day of sun and surf. Jasper had taken them in the Hibiscus Inn rickshaw, loading a huge canvas beach umbrella and cooler for them, and dropping them off just beyond the coconut trees. He handed Cuddy a card.

"K-den, back fo' you when you call," he told them cheerily, and rode off on the bike, leaving them to look out over the beautiful expanse of sand and waves.

"Oy," House sighed. He took the umbrella and limped off, planting it firmly into the sand and working it open. The whole unreality of being on vacation was still taking some time to sink in, and the added oddness of having both Cuddy and Marlena with him didn't make things any easier. He glanced over at them.

Farber was wearing some sort of gauzy pants and shirt combo in blue, with a bamboo print on it. The straw hat completely covered her head, and her sunglasses gave her a vaguely alien bug look. Cuddy was much nicer to stare at, House decided. She had a red tank top and denim shorts on, and her hair was in a ponytail. He wondered if she had a bathing suit on underneath; there hadn't been time to check before they left the Inn.

The two of them spread the towels down, and began doing that settling in sort of thing that women at the beach have done since time immemorial; moving the cooler, the basket and diaper bag; the Imp. House grabbed one of the unfolding camp chairs and set it up under the umbrella, then dropped himself into it, making it clear his work was done. He eyed the Imp.

She drooling was in her carrier, the sun shade up and an extra towel draped over the edge, nearly blocking her completely from view. House knew further that she had on a long-sleeve tee shirt and slathers of lotion with a sun protection factor in the triple digits, courtesy of Wilson.

"Let me describe the beach to you, Demon Daughter, since your mother is never going to permit you any exposure at all to the sun, sand or surf," he began in a dramatic tone, leaning a bit to speak into the carrier. "You're probably going to be trapped in your hermetically sealed environment, doomed to pasty whiteness all your young life."

"Meanwhile your father is going to lounge in the world's most garish beach jams while he sucks down beer and ogles every parading beach bunny from here to Pearl Harbor," Cuddy murmured, carefully setting up another beach chair for Marlena.

House looked down at his shorts, which hung just past his knees. They were a shade of violent orange, with pink and yellow surfboards on them. "I prefer to think of them as a deterrent to shark attack."

"Blinding them is an interesting strategy, yes," Cuddy agreed. "I'm sure you resemble some of the more toxic sea life out there to them."

"Given vot's in his bloodstream most of ze time, he probably is toxic," Marlena added.

House made a face in her direction. "I'm sure your wrinkles will give them plenty to chew on."

"Knock it off," Cuddy murmured, taking Lily out of her carrier and cuddling the baby against her chest. "We're here to relax, and rest—no sniping."

"You started it," House murmured, almost under his breath, but he grabbed his sunglasses and slipped them on, then leaned back in the chair, loftily ignoring her glare.

For a few hours it was good. The cooler held a few beers, some sliced fruit--mostly mango and pineapple—along with water and sodas. House snoozed and read and spent part of the time watching other people, his own included.

Marlena was crocheting again, working on something in delicate pink yarn. Periodically she would stop and rub her hands; House knew better than to suggest she take more frequent breaks and some acetaminophen. Cuddy snoozed a little, or read; she was working her way through Gaudy Night a few pages at a time. House supposed it was difficult to focus on England when the surrounding seascape pulled the attention constantly. Cuddy tried, but Dorothy Sayers ended up back in the tote bag before long.

She took Lily out and laid the baby on the towel, cooing and playing with her quietly, peeling off some of the baby's unnecessary layers in the shade of the umbrella. Off came the long sleeves, and House rolled his eyes at the pink and white striped onesie, complete with legend across the tummy: _Beach Bunny._

"False advertising," House snorted. "More like _Milk Leech_, or _Poop Princess."_

"Yes, well I could have gotten the one that said _My Daddy is an SOB_, but I thought that honest as that was, it might be a little tacky," Cuddy replied absently. She tickled Lily's nose and was rewarded with vigorous kicking on the part of the baby. Marlena looked over approvingly.

House looked out over the water. "Let's go for a swim."

Cuddy looked up at him, wary but quiet. "Go ahead."

"Both of us."

"I didn't bring a suit," she replied, turning back to Lily. House stared at her until the weight of his gaze forced her to look up at him again. He sighed harshly.

"When I proposed this trip, I pointed out—more than once as I recall—that it was a tropical island, with beaches," he began. "I remember the word 'bikini' being suggested several times, as in 'don't forget to pack your bikini, She-Beast."

"I forgot," Cuddy replied in a deliberate monotone. "Chalk it up to stress."

House arched an eyebrow at her. "Then it's a good thing I packed one for you myself."

Cuddy's startled glance shifted to annoyance, and she pursed her lips. House gave her a falsely bright smile in return. "So tomorrow you can go swimming too—wasn't that thoughtful of me?"

She muttered something under her breath and House was sure it had nothing to do with his consideration. Heaving himself out of the beach chair, he made his way down to the water's edge, leaving his cane jammed upright in the sand just above the tide line.

It wasn't easy; the sand underfoot sifted, but the lure of the blue water was strong, and House limped in, pleased that the temperature was warm. He made it to waist deep and dove in the rest of the way, giving himself over to the joy of buoyancy and waves. This section of the beach consisted of a stretch of smooth surf and House found it easy to float, lolling in the swells. He noted that both Marlena and Cuddy were smiling in his direction, and snorted, aware that they were probably making fun of him and his shorts.

He didn't care. The water felt good, and the reduced gravity on his leg helped more than he wanted to admit. House rode a few waves and thoroughly enjoyed himself. He used his arms in powerful strokes, pleased that he could cover a decent distance without getting too winded. After about twenty minutes, he'd judged he'd had enough for the day so he let the surf push him, and rode the crest of a wave into shore, ploughing into the sand with more force than he'd anticipated. When he lolled on his back, House opened his eyes and looked up into Cuddy's concerned face.

"Greg?" She bent lower.

He spit a mouthful of seawater in a spectacular geyser, barely missing her; Cuddy hissed at him. "Damn it! I thought you were hurt!"

"Only that you didn't come in with me. This entire island deserves to see my wahine in a bikini," House mock-sulked. He lay there, wet, realizing the one thing he'd misjudged . . . namely, how difficult it was going to be to get to his feet in the sand.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but your wahine isn't teeny. Come on, your shoulders are getting pink—"

She held out a hand and helped pull him up; House took shameless advantage of her assistance to drape all over her, getting her soaked in the process. Cuddy protested, but half-heartedly, and House smiled at her for one quick, unguarded moment, receiving a white, happy grin back as well.

"I approve of wet tee-shirts, by the way. Just in case there are any local contests you want to enter," he told her. Cuddy helped him over to where his cane stood in the sand.

She pulled it out, and handed it to him. House took it, but didn't let her go, keeping his left arm around her. They trudged up the sand to the umbrella, where Marlena handed House a towel, clucking as she did so.

"Sooch schenanagens!"

"Yes I'm sure we've totally shocked the Imp," House agreed, wiping his chest and peering at the carrier where Lily lay sprawled, sucking her thumb, her little chest rising and falling with each breath. "Yowza! Stunned her into complete unconsciousness."

"We ought to get going," Cuddy murmured, hiding her smirk. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed for Jasper. "We've still got a car to rent."

00oo00oo00

It took the combined efforts of both House and Marlena to convince Cuddy that Lily would survive being left behind with the older woman for the evening. Even as Cuddy put on her earrings, she fretted. "We won't be gone long, and the number's right next to the phone. I'll have my cell . . . "

"Din-ner. Not a shuttle launch," House griped from the living room. "I was hoping to eat sometime within the next twelve hours or so."

"Hold your horses—" she grumbled, fishing around for her clutch. When Cuddy finally emerged, Marlena gave a coo of approval, and House eyed her over thoroughly as he leaned on his cane.

He nodded, cocking his head. "You do Jersey proud. Let's get going."

"Just a minute—" Cuddy grumbled, and bent to kiss Lily, who was clinging to Marlena's shoulder, bright-eyed and alert. House gestured behind Cuddy's back, and Marlena nodded.

It was going to be tough to pry Lisa away.

Moving carefully, Marlena began her little singsong voice, shifting towards the kitchen. "Come along Hasi-Lily oont ve'll peek at vot Nana 'Lena is goint to see out ze vindo---"

House tugged Cuddy towards the door; reluctantly she followed, trying to look back. He didn't let go of her arm until she was climbing into the driver's seat of the rental car. He limped around to the other door and got in, settling his cane between the seats and buckling up. "Come one, let's go."

Cuddy didn't look at all enthusiastic, but she sighed and turned the ignition. "Doesn't it bother you to . . . "

"What? Leave the Demon Spawn in the hands of the one woman who spoils her more completely than you do?"

Cuddy looked at him in astonishment, and her expression shifted slightly. She pulled out onto the highway, and by then she was smirking. House shot a sidelong glance at her. "What?"

"You're . . . jealous," came the little murmur.

House blinked. "Yes that's it completely. I'm seething with rage that I'm not allowed to wear onesies and throw up on people at will."

Cuddy laughed, and the rich contralto sound sent a pang through House. He loved her laugh—the genuine one that came out when she was relaxed and amused. "You're jealous that I spend so much attention on the baby. Admit it."

"I'm not jealous," House contradicted firmly. "Neglected, but not jealous."

"You are not neglected!" Cuddy snapped back, wide-eyed. "You have it easy, buster! You've still got the same free and easy lifestyle you've always had and you know it!"

"Not true," came his quick response. "I've had to give up . . . things."

"What things?" Cuddy demanded.

House looked away. "Music," he admitted in a flat voice. "No more pounding out whatever I like, whenever I like, on the piano."

Cuddy opened her mouth to speak and stopped, a little stunned. She hadn't asked him to do that, but now that she thought back she realized he had. House hadn't touched the piano or any of his other musical instruments since Lily's birth.

"You can still play," she managed. He looked back at her with a slightly cynical smile.

"The times I want to play don't exactly coincide with the Imp's schedule, She-Beast. Better to let the kid sleep than bring on the wrath of all three of you in fractured harmony."

Chastened, Cuddy chewed her lip a little. "Well, we could soundproof your den."

"Maybe," he sighed. For a moment they didn't speak, and Cuddy turned the car onto a side street lined with various restaurants. They found a community lot and parked. House looked around, and Cuddy looked at him.

He looked thinner, but good. The shirt he had on was toned down from his other island garb; almost tasteful. Pale blue batik print paired with clean khakis and his shades hanging from the breast pocket. Studying him, Cuddy felt a flare of heat that she tried to ignore.

He pointed with his chin towards the lights up the street. "Let's get some sushi and not pay."


	5. Chapter 5

Cuddy had never seen so much seafood in so many varieties; she stood staring at the long buffet line of entrees, amazed. Behind her, House nudged her back with his tray impatiently. "Move along already."

"Why don't you go first," Cuddy grumbled. "Since you're so hungry."

"Fine," House replied, shuffling around her. "Not like it's easy to handle a tray AND a cane you know."

"I've handled a tray, a diaper bag, a baby AND a stroller," Cuddy replied under her breath. House looked over his shoulder at her, his expression amused.

"That's because you're the overachiever in the family. I'm smart enough to let you do it, too."

"You mean you're lazy and manipulative," Cuddy countered, but turned her attention back to the buffet. It truly was amazing—The Todai had more types of sushi than she'd ever dreamed possible, along with endless arrays of appetizers, salads, seafood entrees and further down, a dessert bar that looked positively decadent.

She chided herself for even looking towards dessert. House caught her attention by loading something on her tray; a sushi cone of some sort on a fancy little dish. She shot him a questioningly look and her gave her a serious glance in return.

"Temaki," he murmured. "Nutritious, and according to popular belief, an aphrodisiac."

"House—" She couldn't help but grin a bit at his optimistic audacity. He had already loaded some temaki on his own plate, and was moving down the line, studying the other offerings with all the seriousness that Wilson might give to a series of x-rays. Cuddy trailed behind him, watching to see what House selected, and following suit on the majority of them.

By the time they'd reached the end of the line, Cuddy was certain she could never eat all of the various little dishes on her tray. She followed House to an empty booth that overlooked part of the ocean, and settled in, wondering what to taste first.

House unwrapped a pair of lacquered chopsticks and handed them to her, then repeated the gesture for himself, glancing at his wife. She took her chopsticks in hand and waited.

"Temaki first—gives it time to work," he intoned. Cuddy's gaze turned from receptive to skeptical, but House reached over and picked up the cone from her selection of plates, holding it out her courteously. She leaned forward and took a bite, and the crispy nori wrapper crackled.

The rice, heated salmon and slivers of cucumber were delicious, and Cuddy made a happy sound, going for a second bite. House watched her nibble from his fingers with amusement. "Watch it, I'll need those later, to tweak your nipples, you know."

"Keep your voice down!" Cuddy hissed, slightly mortified at his words and her immediate reaction to them.

House blinked at her innocently, and turned back to the little dishes on his side of the table, fishing expertly with his chopsticks, plucking what looked like a tuna roll up in them. "Did you know that there's a whole sensual art to using chop sticks for foreplay?" he began chattily. "Between the delicate pinching and tugging . . . . " House sighed lasciviously, and reached for his beer bottle.

Cuddy stared at her own eating utensils for a moment, trying to picture the actions House had hinted at, and felt herself blush. She scowled, and reached instead for the small salad and a fork. "Nobody is taking chopsticks to any part of me, not even you, Greg. I don't like to be pinched."

"No midnight sushie off your tushie?" he pouted, setting his Kirin down again and seeking another morsel.

Cuddy snorted slightly. "No. dinner goes in me, not on me."

"Picky, picky. Then I call dibs on dessert from a Cuddy table," House told her, waggling his eyebrows slightly. "The possibilities are endless there, oh yeah. Pineapple rings around your nipples, maybe a nice mound of Cool Whip from your navel, and I could definitely glaze your thighs with chocolate syrup . . . "

"Not happening," Cuddy told him flatly, finishing her tiny salad. "And the last thing my thighs need right now is chocolate syrup. Just because you're horny doesn't mean that I am."

"Twelve weeks," House replied. "Long time for a depraved maniac to go without. It's been hard on me too, but I figured you'd give me the high sign where you were ready, so when I got it tonight—" He gave her an exaggerated wink. Cuddy bit her lips to keep from laughing as she picked up another sushi piece.

"The high sign? And just what, pray tell was that?"

"You let me pry you away from the Imp. For me, that's pretty much all systems go," House replied, watching her. Cuddy's mouth fell open at this, and at the same time, her sushi dropped into her cleavage.

House gave a little moan. "Ooh-ooh, Futomaki, right on the funbags--"

"Greg!" Cuddy tried to fish in her blouse discreetly, and then it happened.

Across the restaurant came the low, unhappy cry of a baby. Cuddy looked up and tensed. House kept his gaze on her shirtfront, aware of what was about to happen, feeling intrigued, slightly aroused and uncomfortable as the wet stains bloomed through Cuddy's blouse in instant reaction. She blinked, hurriedly reaching into her lap for her napkin, mortified.

House didn't hesitate. With careful aim he waved his beer bottle in her direction, allowing a heavy slosh of the bitter malt to hit Cuddy across her chest, drenching her and making her gasp. "What the HELL? House!"

"Sorry! Sorry about that, just slipped!" House raised his voice. "Waiter? We need some napkins--"

As Cuddy tried to blot the beer up, she tensed suddenly and looked up at him, aware of what he'd deliberately done to mask her embarrassment. She didn't say anything, but her shoulders relaxed a bit, and seeing that, House did too.

"Yes, I'm fine—just an accident. I don't think it's going to stain," Cuddy tried to reassure the waiter, who had brought a stack of paper napkins and was trying to take away a few of the empty dishes as well. When he had left after mopping up the table and part of the booth, Cuddy looked down into her dinner for a long moment, not able to meet his eyes. "Thank you."

"You owe me another beer," he replied, but his tone was gentle.

Afterwards, when they left The Todai and stepped out into the tropical night, Cuddy took his free hand, noting as always how big it was compared to her own. Her blouse was still damp, and she smelled like a brewery, but the night air was drying things quickly as they walked to the rental car. House gave a low chuckle.

"Gonna have to shower before you let the Demon Spawn latch on, otherwise she's liable to develop a new thirst."

"Like father like daughter," came the answering murmur. "Thank you."

"I can think of a nicer way of expressing your gratitude—" House announced, grudgingly opening the car door for Cuddy, who slid into the driver's seat.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "I get it; you're horny," she muttered gently. House climbed in and absently rubbed his thigh, his gaze lingering out the windshield.

"I blame you for that," he told her in a grouchy tone. "You set the pace all through the pregnancy, oh Venus of Blue Brook, what with your evil seductive ways and insatiable appetites. Between my bum leg and your baby bump we still got a hell of a lot of hide the salami in, and now I'm acclimated to it. So when you wear a clingy blouse and short little skirt, yeah, parts of me are going to sit up and take notice."

Cuddy tried not to feel flattered, but she shot a sidelong glance at House's scowling profile as she pulled the car out of the parking lot. "You're being nice—stop it."

"I'm not being nice. If I was being nice I'd go the Wilson route and bop my own baloney until you decided you might like to get laid again."

"Haven't you already?" Cuddy murmured knowingly. House's scowl deepened.

"Jeez, if you were watching, then you could have lent a hand you know. My shower is your shower, any time—except when I'm peeing."

"Pee in our shower at home and I will tie a knot in your dick," Cuddy snapped. "There's a toilet not two steps over. Use it."

"Inefficient and unsafe," House countered. "The shower drain is just fine, whether I'm draining the python or firing the surgeon general, end of decision."

This pronouncement made Cuddy laugh, a little cluster of husky giggles that echoed in the car. They were back on the highway again, headed for the Hibiscus Inn, and the moonlight gave the jungle on either side of the road an unearthly beauty. She sighed and looked over at House indulgently. "You're really making an effort tonight—has it been that long?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, then turned, gazing at her with an expression of directness that caught Cuddy a little off-guard. "Yes."

"Oh," She replied, a bit stunned. "I . . . I didn't realize it. Between the baby, and the housework . . . "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," came the answering mutter. "Hence the vacation. Time to shift gears, as it were."

"Yeah," she agreed softly.

They walked across the road to the beach, not speaking; simply enjoying the sights and sounds of the surf in the moonlight. The night sky was awash in glittering stars, and although the sun had set, the air was still warm. Cuddy carried her sandals in one hand, a finger hooked in the straps as she walked next to House and felt the sand shift under her bare feet.

She shot him a look but didn't speak; he gave a small smile in return. Cuddy liked that they didn't need to say anything to have a quick conversation, and that despite the sand he was making an effort to find them the perfect setting. House steered them to the right.

"It should be here--" he murmured, "if memory serves--"

Cuddy followed him, and looked at the low stone ridge that rose up next to a small lagoon dappled with moonlight. The grove of coconut trees rose above them, majestically. She blinked a little, not quite understanding. "House--"

"Shhhh, empty beach—come here," he murmured, and set his cane to lean against the wall. In the distance to their left was the Pacific, with its rolling white surfline gleaming in the semi-darkness. To their right, the sandy grove under the coconut trees, cool and mysterious. And right between them, a little curved wall of coral rock, rounded and smooth from the eons of waves and wind.

Cuddy dropped her sandals, slid into House's arms, and the pangs she'd felt earlier returned, stronger now that she could smell his skin and feel his warmth. His body always held heat; higher than that of most people, as if his metabolism was always at a quicker pace than anyone else's.

He ran his nose against her cheek, and his breath was soft against her skin when he spoke. "You smell like Kirin, and hot, hot woman. Me like."

That made Cuddy snort, and she shifted to sink her teeth lightly into House's earlobe; a gesture she knew would send a quiver through him. His ears had always been incredibly sensitive. Still holding the lobe lightly, she whispered back. "Got an offering for the Jungle Goddess?"

She let go, and he grinned at her; the devastating one that never failed to weaken her knees and make her pulse jump a bit. When House gave her that look, Cuddy felt every feminine instinct to whimper, so she did, a tiny bit.

House bent his face to hers, leaning her back against the hip high wall. "First, we must seek the shrine--"

He kissed her quickly, impatient and hungry; Cuddy kissed him back, aware of a rush of desire on her own part, and glad of the man in her arms. They kept kissing, moving from playful and lingering ones to slightly rougher caresses, tongues and lips and teeth bumping and tangling.

Cuddy loved the taste of him, the heated grace of his blatant desire for her. She bent to nip at his shirt buttons, undoing them with her teeth. Watching her, House gave a low groan. "Ohhyeah--"

She glanced, up, a few long curly strands of her dark hair over her face, giving her a slightly wild look. "Sexy?"

"As hell," he agreed, his own hands moving for her blouse. It didn't take long to undo, and after peeling it open, House undid the hooks of the nursing bra as well, tugging it open to reveal her bare chest. He gave a hard sigh, letting his hands come up to cup them from the underside, the bounty overflowing his grasp.

"The rightful owner returns—" came his growl, and Cuddy laughed, her head going back even as he slowly kissed his way down her gleaming collarbone to the warm curves below.

Sensitive; Cuddy couldn't get over how the merest brush of his bristles had her tensing. When his hot tongue flicked out, she moaned helplessly, her hands scrabbling to his shoulders under his unbuttoned shirt.

House kept up the tease, circling around and between her breasts, caressing the rounded expanse of them and avoiding her nipples until with a growl of her own, she tugged his hair. Only then did House shift and nip softly.

Cuddy writhed as the quick thrilling ripples rolled through her body. She clutched his shoulders, her nails digging in slightly. House gave a happy groan of his own and suckled. Cuddy clutched him harder, feeling the gush.

House raised his face a moment later, looking smug and aroused. "Oh yes, you ARE delicious."

"Shhh--" came her slightly breathless gasp. "I didn't know it could FEEL like that--" Cuddy shuddered, her eyes closed, her lashes dark against her pale cheeks. House took ruthless advantage of her bliss and slipped a hand up under her skirt. Her eyes snapped open, but her legs parted to his touch.

"Drop 'em," came his whisper. "Want you, and I can feel that you damn well want me too—"

Unable to argue the point, Cuddy shifted, reaching under her skirt to tug the bikini panties off; the dropped into the tops of her bare feet, and House lifted her out of them, his hands cupping her naked bottom under her skirt. "Found the temple—"

"House—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know—" came his slightly grumpy reply. Cuddy felt him reluctantly let go of one cheek and fish into the breast pocket of his shirt to pull out a condom. She rolled her eyes slightly, but her dexterous fingers had already undone his fly and pushed at the waistband of his slacks and boxers. They slid down his legs to the sand as well, and Cuddy took a moment to run her nails lightly around his hips and ass.

House sucked in a deep breath, savoring her touch as he fumbled with the latex. "Dis-trac-ting. Lovely, but distracting, She-Beast—"

"I'm a sex goddess, I'm into your heinie."

"Heinie is not a sexy word," House complained, but Cuddy hefted herself up on the rock wall and slid her legs around him, one hand on his shoulder, the other around his turgid shaft, aligning it in the semi-darkness.

"Slow—" she ordered.

House took another breath and gently thrust forward.

"Nunghhhhhhhhhhh!" In terms of sexy speech it wasn't so much the vocabulary as the wild and desperate tone of it that made Cuddy pull him closer, her heels prodding his ass.

"Ahhh!" came her yelp as House's unexpected heft left her breathless. Clearly when Cecily had repaired the perineal trauma she'd tightened things up a bit.

Clearly House knew it too; he pressed his face against the side of her neck, shuddering a bit. "Holy shit. Don't. Move."

"Crap, you're big," Cuddy whimpered, half-laughing as she nuzzled House's cheek. He gritted his teeth in mock-agony.

"Saying things like that is going to make me blow right here," he hissed. "Just let me . . . adjust, okay?"

Because it was fun to taunt him, Cuddy promptly licked his ear, and breathed into it. "Miss me?"

He rocked forward, going deeper, grunting a little, and kissed the side of her face. "Shhhh, worshiping my goddess," he whispered back hoarsely, and let his mouth open to hers.

They rocked together against the wall, groaning and kissing, trying desperately to draw out the sweet pleasure, but the sheer urgency both of them felt stoked the passion between them at an accelerated rate, and very soon Cuddy let her head drop back as the rush of heat and lightness washed through her in gossamer pleasure, the heavy beats of her heart pulsing in time to the little cries rising out of her throat.

House nipped her shoulder to muffle his panting; she felt the throbs of his orgasm deep within her, strong and seemingly endless; moments later, when he slumped against her she raised a languid hand to stroke his damp hair back from his forehead.

She smiled.

"Good," Cuddy told him sweetly.

House shifted, and kissed the corner of her warm mouth, lingering there for a moment. He stared at her with blue-eyed intensity, locking gazes with her in the moonlight.

"Good," House agreed, his voice slow, and deep and serious.

Gradually they pulled apart and began the slow and mundane business of redressing; Cuddy collected her sandals and held up her underwear, debating on carrying them or simply throwing them away when House plucked them from her fingers. He stuffed them into his pocket, along with the knotted condom.

"Souvenirs."

"No. They go in the garbage the minute we get back."

"Oh fine. I suppose we'll have to make do with keychains and postcards," House grumbled gently, fishing for his Vicodin.

As they crossed the road back towards the Hibiscus Inn, Cuddy slid an arm around his waist, and dropping her arm, squeezed one cheek of his ass.

House smirked at her. "Goddesses; they're SO insatiable."


	6. Chapter 6

Cuddy looked at herself in the mirror on the back of the bedroom door, fretting. Turning this way and that, she kept checking, feeling an odd mix of exasperation and delight.

House barged in, stopping in appreciation as he caught sight of her standing there. "Bikini. Yessss. Love the blue—it brings out your Ta-tas beautifully."

"It's . . . too big," Cuddy blurted, still unable to accept the fact.

House eyed her critically, the corner of his mouth still smirking a bit. "Not by where I'm looking."

"No, it is—the top, the butt, the whole thing--" she muttered, distracted as she tied the strings on one hip and then the other. "This isn't . . . possible."

"Breastfeeding means your caloric intake is down and your caloric expenditure is up," House rolled his eyes. "Not impossible that you've dropped a pound or two in the process, She-Beast. Come on, I want to stake out a good spot today, and get in my two beer allotment."

"Hold your horses!" Cuddy snapped, but House reached out with his cane and rapped her bare ankle.

"Move it, move it—" he ordered. "The Demon Spawn is behind on her daily sand intake."

"Greg!"

Within the hour they were comfortably parked again on the beach; establishing a routine, clearly. House managed to get the umbrella up and himself into the canvas sling chair quickly. He took Lily into his lap and spoke to her softly. "Look your cutest for the seventeen to twenty two year-old age bracket and I'll slip you a fiver. Get'em to bend over and there's another ten in it—"

"Grrrrregory—" Marlena warned sternly. "She's too young for brrribes."

"So I can save money. Sweet," he murmured, shifting back in the chair and propping Lily up, Marlena and Cuddy exchanged an indulgent glance, both perfectly aware of how comfortable House now was with a baby on his lap.

Changes. Small but significant.

Cuddy hesitated in stripping off her shorts, but the warmth of the day and relative emptiness of the beach won her over, and she folded her clothes neatly, then sat cross-legged on the blanket under the umbrella and gave a contented sigh. In front of them the Pacific stretched out, blue and beautiful, light glittering on it, and waves curling in postcard perfection to crash and rise up along the sandy slope.

After a while, she took Lily from House, fed her, and waited until the baby dropped off to sleep, then settled her in her carrier, unfolding it to the fully reclined position. When she looked up, House was watching keenly.

"Want to see you wet," he told her. She eyed the water, then the baby.

"Go," Marlena murmured, her fingers moving along wool of her crochet. "Hasi-Lily vill be out for at least oon hour."

Cuddy went, feeling acutely self-conscious as she trotted next to House, one arm around him in support. It wasn't her paleness, although that was part of it, certainly; rather the sense of . . . exposure.

House had no compunctions, and used the advantage of his height to peer down her cleavage as they hobbled to the shoreline. "I think I like using women as crutches. Softer, bouncier--"

"You like using women period. You've letched for as long as I've known you," Cuddy pointed out with a hint of annoyance. "It's as much a part of your DNA as blue eyes."

"Maybe more so—ruthless testosterone," he admitted. They'd reached the water and were wading in. Cuddy looked down at the foamy water around her shins and smiled.

"Warm—"

"And without the addition of anyone's urine to achieve the effect," House replied. Cuddy rolled her eyes and waded in further, relaxing as she did so. The sensations were marvelous, and turning so that she could keep an eye on the shore, Cuddy allowed herself to drift in the waves for a while and enjoy the water.

She kept an eye on House; partially out of habit, and partially out of self-preservation. Given his juvenile nature at times, he was dangerous when he was in a good mood—Lily had been the result of the last unanticipated encounter. House seemed to sense her wariness and kept circling around her, sleek as a seal, his stare unnerving.

"Stop it—you're not going to untie my top," Cuddy warned him firmly. House looked sulky, rising to stand and shaking his head to make water drops fly from his temples.

"You may be alert now, but my time will come," he solemnly intoned. "When you least expect it--"

"I'm quaking," Cuddy told him in a bored tone. She dove under and swam to catch the swell of a wave, riding it part of the way into the shore, then paddled back out to do it again, feeling a rare sense of delight.

So rare. She was a doctor, an administrator, a dean. Her life had been projects and bottom lines and policies for so many years, but for here and now, the simple joy of playing in the Pacific left Cuddy grinning. It was fun, and uncomplicated and for the moment, just what she needed. Yes they'd have to go back to New Jersey eventually, but this little break was perfect.

Or was up until the moment she was swept up in a sudden swell, and flipped end over end, losing track of direction in the churn of sand and water. Spluttering, Cuddy rose up, gulping in air, dizzy from the somersaults she'd just done underwater. It was only with the second breath that she realized her situation and true alarm set in. Ducking down, she waved her hands through the surrounding water, seeking but not finding.

She popped up to the surface swells again, looking around, not quite ready to panic yet, but moving in that direction, oh yes.

No bikini bottom drifting anywhere.

Suspicious now, Cuddy looked for House as well; he was floating on his back, eyes closed, several yards away, and despite her initial impulse, she doubted he had anything to do with her . . . loss.

He was also the only person who could help, she realized with resignation. Carefully dog-paddling over to him, Cuddy tried to keep out of arm's reach. "Greg—"

"Is it time to go in already mom? Just five minutes more?" he whined back, opening one eye. Cuddy stared at him until House opened both eyes and reluctantly shifted to a standing position. "You can leave me out here by myself you know. I can swim."

"I need your help," Cuddy muttered reluctantly just as House's keen eyesight took in her predicament. His mouth shifted from a puckered smirk into a slow, wide grin. In response, Cuddy shot him her patented Death Glare, which fizzled, given the circumstances below the waterline.

"You seem to be missing something—" House began in a slow and happy gloat. "—and here I thought this vacation couldn't get any better. Sometimes it's so good to be wrong!"

"Noted Diagnostician drowns on vacation," Cuddy shot back in a low monotone. "Family plans celebration, all of greater New Jersey invited."

House shook his head, his gaze salacious and delighted. "Nice try, but not happening, She-Beast. Looks like most of the beach will be admiring da okole you got."

"Fine. I need to get out of the water with a minimum of embarrassment, and if it requires a bribe on my part, I'll do it," Cuddy replied firmly. "Name your price, Greg."

"Sex and lots of it," he responded quickly. "I require a daily dose for the duration of this vacation, with an emphasis on you being the active partner, partner."

"Oh reaaaa-lly?" Cuddy drawled, amused against her will at House's unapologetic arrogance. Most of the time it was annoying as hell, but his bright-eyed gaze and quickened breathing had her aware of so much more in this negotiation. Cuddy noted too, how he'd moved closer to her. She backed up a little. House had already begun to pull off his wet t-shirt, and as it came over his head his hair fluffed along his ears.

"Do we have a deal? Because the minutes are ticking down, and I know you need this—"

"Yah, deal already, now give me the shirt!" Cuddy lightly snarled, reaching up for it. House held it aloft, which given his natural height put it well out of reach of his wife. She sulked, knowing a jump shot would expose more of her than she wanted anyone to see. "Houuuuse--"

"You need a show of good faith. I'll settle for good flesh since I'm in a charitable mood."

Cuddy glared at him once again, realizing what he meant. She shot a glance towards the beach; Marlena was holding Lily in a way that clearly indicated the baby was awake and slightly fussy. She sighed. "I can't believe you!"

"You married me," House pointed out, and his grin was gone for a moment, lost to an expression of flinty tenderness so quick that she might have missed it. Cuddy shifted in the water so that her back was to the beach, and in one quick move she grasped her bikini top along the bottom edge, lifting it in one quick flash before yanking it back down again.

"Give me the damned shirt," she growled. House gave a bark of a laugh and tossed her the wet garment, watching her pull it over her own head and smooth it down.

They headed in, Cuddy gripping the hem of the tee-shirt to hold it down, and House bracing his arm around her shoulder to steady himself as they lumbered out of the surf together.

The shirt was almost long enough. Almost. Cuddy scuttled up to the umbrella, blushing, as House limped his way behind her, whistling loudly. She brushed past him, towel around her waist and clothes in hand, heading for the changing rooms, muttering dire threats under her breath. House grabbed another towel, wiped himself dry and settled into his empty beach chair with lazy arrogance. For a moment, Marlena merely stared at him over the baby in her arms.

"You." She finally pronounced with flat finality. "Vhy?"

House didn't deny it. He drew in a breath and leaned forward, favoring his right thigh, his eyes locked on Marlena's. His reply was low, and sharp. "Because she holds herself to some impossibly high standards; unrealistic standards at times, Marlena. Pregnancy changes a mother's body; it's the price she pays for the process. I'm tired of having her fret over the difference between dress sizes, or about whether or not there are stretch marks or padding on her body. Intellectually the She-Beast knows all this, but accepting it emotionally—"

"—Ja," Marlena agreed, nodding slowly. "Emotionally, hard to accept. So you--?"

"Bought a duplicate of her bikini one size up," House admitted. "Took the tag out from the bottoms, but knowing Cuddy, that wouldn't be good enough, so I simply tugged on a string once we were in the water, and let nature do the rest."

"Devious, " Marlena admitted with a grudging smile. "Oont dirty. Vot if you did not haf a shirt to offer her? Vot zen?"

House's answering grin made Marlena chuff and turn away to cluck over the baby.

He told them that night, speaking to both women on the porch of the bungalow, as they sat in the serene tropical darkness, listening to the distant roll of the surf. House was quiet and convincing, laying out his plan for the two of them.

After he'd finished, nobody spoke for a while. Then Cuddy cleared her throat and leaned forward. "I don't want this to be just about Hinoshu, Greg. You can get away with insulting the man on a thousand other levels, from his politics to his fashion sense, but religion is a dangerous area."

"I'm not insulting him. Weren't you listening? Offering to have him at the Imp's Miyamairi is practically naming him godfather for all intents and purposes."

"Lily's not going to be a . . . a Shintoist," Cuddy snorted. House rolled his eyes and let his gaze come to rest on her as he gave a loud sigh.

"Maybe not, but you can bet your bottom Yen that Hinoshu is, to some degree, and this is all about face, She-Beast. Not quite a bluff, more like a compromise. If he's going to insist on being a part of our kid's life—and it looks like he is, unfortunately—then the best we can do is set the terms. Besides, Shinto isn't really a religion, per se. It's sort of a formalized New Age-ism with a few more centuries behind it than the Western version."

Seeing by the set of her crossed arms that she was unconvinced, House added, "We honor him, we honor her, everyone's happy, and we get a nice cup of wine when it's over."

"And that's it? No formal commitment, no bond to a Higher Being?" Cuddy scoffed.

Marlena nodded gently. "I sink in zis case it is not a matter of what ve belief, but what this man, Hinoshu, beliefs. Oont what Hasi-Greg iz not saying iz that in a vay, Hinoshu is partially responsible for vot has come to pass. Your courtship oont marriage. Ze birth of Lily. Zose must be . . . recognized, nu?"

Marlena's quiet and thoughtful words hung in the tropical night air for a long moment. Cuddy shifted a little in her chair, and looked steadily at House, who looked back at her.

"Okay then," she murmured. "So it's not a game; not some sort of mocking thing. And we're doing this tomorrow?"

"Yep. Tomorrow the Demon Spawn will be one hundred days old; the right time for the ceremony. We've got a two o'clock appointment at the Izumo Taishakyo Mission, downtown. We'll do lunch, get Imp blessed and come back for some serious napping."

"Got it all planned out?" Cuddy asked suspiciously, but House rose from his chair and prodded her calf with his cane.

"I'm calling in a certain marker now--"

Marlena kept a straight face and rose herself. "Oont I am going to pick out postcards from ze main lobby. I'm taking my key because I may be gone a long, long time."

Cuddy let herself be pulled up from the rattan chair, trying to stay annoyed, but not quite able to keep it up. She followed House to their bedroom and headed for the bathroom as he locked their door.

He crowded up behind her against the counter, kissing her neck as she brushed her teeth, and his groping hands had her spluttering white foam as she squirmed. "Hou'!"

"A mouthful of white dribbles. Very porn. Let's see if we can recreate it with the real stuff," he growled in her ear.

"You're disgusting," Cuddy told his reflection with distain, but at that moment he slid a hand down into her shorts and cupped her vulva, the press of his palm sweet and firm and precise. She shuddered, arching back in surprised response, and House grinned.

"Yep. But I'm also very good," he reminded her, and bent closer to whisper something else. Cuddy's eyelids fluttered for a moment, and she languidly turned to press herself against him, her soft reply murmured against the warm skin of his neck.

They left the bedroom window open, letting their soft sighs and low groans carry out into the tropical night blending in with the rustle of the palms and the occasional call of a night bird out in the distant jungle. House kept Cuddy to her word and lay back under her, savoring the slow grind of her hips to his, the way her hair tangled in his fingers.

It became a slow, evil game between them; building up and stopping, riding a rising crest of pleasure and holding off only to build it up again. Skin grew hot and sweaty, Cuddy cursed, and bit while House ran possessive hands along her back and ass, taunting her sweetly. When neither of them could take the torment any longer, Cuddy clutched his wrists and pinned them down on the pillow, taking her satisfaction as she quickened the bounce of her body against his. House gave in to the molten rise of his orgasm, hips arching eagerly off the mattress as Cuddy thrust her tongue deep into his groan of pleasure.

It took a long time to cool down.


	7. Chapter 7

He still remembered how to tie the obi; House found himself working the knot just behind his right hip without thinking about it, finishing it deftly. He gave one glance into the mirror in the bathroom, faintly glad he had shaved. The face that looked back at him was thin, and austere; almost grim despite the tan. House noted his hair was getting longer, and certainly his temples were seriously silver now.

He could hear Mrs. Ito in the bedroom, soothing Cuddy as she dressed her, assuring her that she'd be comfortable and beautiful in her kimono. Stepping out, he made his way into the living room of the bungalow and looked at Marlena, who was changing Lily over on the coffeetable. His daughter was butt-naked, legs kicking in the air; against his nature, House smiled.

"Enjoy the freedom, Imp; it's going to be a while until you're au naturale again," he told her, coming to sit on the sofa next to Marlena. She ignored him and concentrated on the baby, diapering her with loving efficiency, then slipped her into a pale pink cotton onesie. Lily submitted with only a few defiant kicks, and put up with little matching socks as well. Marlena shifted her to House's hold and as he sat her on his lap, she lightly brushed the baby's gossamer hair up for a tiny pink bow on a hairclip.

House made a face. "I'm getting cuteness all over me; get it off, get it off!"

"Ja I know—it burns," Marlena muttered, picking Lily up once more. "Zuffer." She gently set Lily in the carrier and lightly wiped her face with a clean cloth diaper; House checked his watch. Just as he was about to yell, the bedroom door opened and Mrs. Ito came out quietly.

She made a bow to both Marlena and House, her voice low. "Your family are ready and I wish you joy on your daughter's Miyamairi, Doctor House."

"Thank you," House replied forthrightly. He waited until the woman had left before struggling to his feet from the low sofa and clearing his throat in a loud warning.

The bedroom door opened and Cuddy came out, self-conscious but graceful, her expression torn between self-deprecating amusement and slight embarrassment. "This feels weird."

House looked her over, taking in all the details in one sharp glance: pink silk kimono with plum embroidery of blossoms on it; white obi, dark glossy hair pinned up with small tendrils already escaping to frame her face. He gave a slow, approving nod.

"Sutairu ii ne," House rumbled, amused when Cuddy shot him an annoyed glance.

"What did you say?"

"Too much of you is covered up," he lied, "I've gotten used to skin on this vacation."

"Suffer," Cuddy told him, echoing Marlena's earlier imperative. Across the room the older woman smiled knowingly. House harrumphed and limped his way back towards the sofa. Lily turned her head to watch him and he stared back at her. Marlena shook her head.

"Not until ve get zere—vunce ve are inside, zen we can put her lit-tle robe on, ja."

"Hawaii Kotohira Jinsha-Hawaii Dazaifu Tenmangu," House rolled out sonorously as they approached the torii along Olomea Street. Cuddy pushed the stroller, her acute mortification at being in a kimono somewhat abated by the complete lack of anyone staring. Next to her, Marlena Farber walked along, leaning on her own cane and calmly smiling, her straw hat ruffled a bit by the breeze.

There were a few other people on the sidewalk, but for the most part it was uncrowded. Ahead of them rose the iconic red gate, the lines elegant and unmistakable, and behind it were tall trees and the temple itself, quietly blending into the background. Cuddy glanced over at House, who was standing and looking at it, seemingly lost in thought. He looked . . . he looked good in a kimono, she had to admit. The dark navy silk hung on his long frame gracefully, and the low band of his obi emphasized how broad his shoulders were. He wore the robe as if it was the most natural thing in the world, which both irked and intrigued her.

Cuddy realized there was still so much she didn't know about the man she'd married.

Then he turned to look at her, and his smile was shark-sharp. "Okay, in we go." Moving with purpose, he lumbered in, head high. Cuddy glanced at Marlena, who nodded. They followed him, pushing the stroller in slowly, and Cuddy took note of the courtyard of the temple.

It was wide and cool; the ground was dappled with the shade of the towering palms overhead. Full flowerbeds ran along the edges and there were benches here and there for contemplation. A few other people were here, and Cuddy relaxed when she saw a few babies as well, dressed to the nines and held by equally decked out parents.

Most people were in kimonos.

House led the way to a beautiful little fountain under a thatched roof. He pushed the sleeves up of his kimono and slipped his hands under the running water, scrubbing them lightly, then splashed a little on his face as well. Cuddy eyed him and he nodded his head at the water.

"Ritualistic. Wash hands; it's part of it."

She followed suit, glad of the coolness on her palms and wrists. Cuddy patted her face lightly, feeling better. House waited until she was through, then he pointed with his chin the steps up into the shrine. "Do what I do."

He walked up the access ramp and into the building. The floor was polished wood, and the space inside was cool and spacious. House advanced to the ornate wall on the far side and reached into the waist of his obi as he handed his cane to Cuddy. Carefully, he tossed the heavy silver dollar into the box; it clinked against the other coins already in there, the sound rich in the stillness. As Cuddy watched, House brought his hands together at chest level and clapped solemnly three times, fingers up. Then, he bowed, bending from the waist very formally.

House rose and turned to her, collecting his cane, his expression intent. Cuddy bit her lip and stepped forward. She paused, but House handed her a silver dollar. Cuddy tossed it gently into the box, adding another 'clink' to the quiet afternoon. She clapped, just as she'd seen House do, moving gracefully, then bowed. When she rose up again, House gave her a small smile. He nodded to Cuddy and motioned with his chin for her to move out of the way.

A young man behind them moved towards the shrine, and Cuddy shifted towards House, standing by his side. He glanced down at her. "Good. That's the standard ritual of worship. Wash, offering, clap, bow—pretty efficient."

"What about Lily's ceremony?"

"Little more to it. We need to get in line for that one," House told her as they stepped out and when down the ramp again. In the courtyard, Marlena was deftly dressing Lily in a tiny kimono of pale pink silk, the material glistening in the sunshine. She wasn't alone either; next to her stood two familiar gentlemen: Hinoshu Yamahana and his translator, David.

They bowed.

House did not. He did incline his head slightly as he stood before Hinoshu, towering over him. "Hinoshu-sama."

The older man paused for a moment, then bowed again, his low voice rumbling out. "Hou-su-sensei."

"I'm glad you could make it," Cuddy murmured, extending her hand to Hinoshu, who took it lightly between his own. Hinoshu wore a kimono too; a heavy burgundy one with brocade pattern of chrysanthemums on it in gold thread. His gaze lingered appreciatively over Cuddy as he rose from a bow over her fingers. He murmured something, and David spoke up.

"Mr. Hinoshu is deeply honored to be here for this joyous day."

Hinoshu then looked curiously at Marlena, who held Lily on her shoulder. House spoke. "Sobo Marlena."

Hinoshu bowed again, this time towards Marlena, his manner elegant and exceedingly formal. Impressed against her will, Marlena waited until he had risen to smile guardedly at him and slowly hand Lily over.

The old man's face softened as he gently took the baby and brought her to his chest. He looked down at her, his hold on her secure and completely comfortable; his soft little murmuring was for Lily alone. Lily eyed him curiously; not crying, but not won over just yet, her eyes wide.

Cuddy was amused at how Hinoshu seemed genuinely delighted, and when she looked at House, she noticed his own tolerant expression. Lily waved a hand and yawned a little; Hinoshu spoke up gently and David translated once more.

"Mr. Hinoshu says she is blessed with her mother's beauty and her father's courage."

"Better than the other way around," House replied dryly. He looked towards the steps of the temple, where other families were beginning to congregate, little family groups, all of them with babies. When he turned back, Hinoshu gave a nod, and reluctantly handed Lily to Cuddy.

Leaving the stroller near several others in the courtyard, they all went up the access ramp together; Cuddy didn't want House to walk it alone, and the incline was kinder to both Marlena and Hinoshu. House led the way, his steps quiet along the wooden floor. In front of them was a priest, his white robes and formal hat visible over the four family groups that now filled the center of the temple. He spoke, and very softly House paraphrased for Cuddy and Marlena.

"He's welcoming us and asking that we have our information ready."

"What information?" Cuddy asked, suspiciously.

House rolled his eyes and patted his obi. "I already have it, don't get your thong in a knot—that comes later."

Cuddy bit her lips, not willing to snap at him in a holy place; on the other side, Hinoshu and David were both looking at them. The older man had the tiniest of smirks at the corner of his mouth.

After the first two blessings, Cuddy grasped the process, watching it with fascination. The priest recited a prayer, and checked with a piece of paper that one of the family handed him to add in what were probably names. He swung a little decorative object around as he did it. Then the family members came up one by one, bowed, and put something on the altar.

Then it was their turn; the priest was beckoning them forward, and Cuddy felt a surge of panic—whatever they were supposed to put on the altar, she didn't have one.

"House—"

"Shhh--" she felt something tucked into her hand and looked down. The little sprig of pine had long scraps of paper with characters on it. Her fingers closed around it, and she shot him a grateful look that he missed since he had handed the priest a piece of paper.

The thin, elegantly robed man looked at the paper, then slowly chanted, swinging a small decorated pouch around the altar. Cuddy caught Lily's name, then her own and House's. There was more, but she didn't understand it, not until the priest came to an end, and House slowly lurched forward to bow, and lay something on the altar. Cuddy followed suit, trying to be graceful as she placed the pine sprig next to House's gift. Then Marlena stepped up, bobbed her head and laid her paper-wrapped branch on the altar, followed by Hinoshu, and touchingly, David.

They all bowed to the priest, and moved off to the side, where attendants handed each of them a red wooden saki cup. House drank his quickly. Cuddy received Hinoshu's bow with a small smile and drank her own cup, grateful for the hot sour taste. Hinoshu said something, and reached into his kimono; small beautifully wrapped packages came out: One for House, one for herself and one for Lily. David spoke quietly.

"In honor of the occasion, Doctors House and Cuddy. Mr. Hinoshu hopes you will accept these for Lily-chan's future."

Cuddy glanced at House, who having set his cup down, was already unwrapping the package. A small certificate came out of the paper, and House drew in a breath, impressed against his will. "Fifty thousand shares of IBM. Okaaay, maybe this godfather thing is going to work out."

With shaky hands Cuddy opened hers, and bit her lips before speaking. "Oh my God! A fifty thousand dollar savings bond—" She looked up, wide-eyed at Hinoshu, who was already holding Lily and letting her grab his forefinger. He looked up under heavy salt and pepper eyebrows at Cuddy and smiled.

"This is . . ." Cuddy tried to speak, but the jumble of thoughts made her at a complete loss for words. House, however, drew himself up, and with quiet elegance, bowed to Hinoshu; a low and respectful gesture made all the more impressive by his height and solemnity. Hinoshu paused, clearly surprised, and then still holding Lily, bowed back.

After that, they all moved out of the temple and back into the courtyard; Lily was starting to fuss from the heat of her kimono. Deftly Marlena unwrapped the baby back down to her pink onsie and socks, which seemed to fascinate Hinoshu. He played lightly with the baby's feet.

Cuddy noticed House had wandered away, and she rose to follow him around the side garden of the courtyard. There were long needled pine trees here mixed in with the lush tropical vegetation, and little prayer papers and ribbons tied to the bushes and branches. House reached one of the taller pines and noted a hollow knothole at eye level. As Cuddy watched, he dry-swallowed some Vicodin, and then fished into his obi and pulled four objects out.

Origami, she noted. Four animals.

House turned to look at her, his glance sharp but amused too. He held out the first animal. "This is for the Imp."

It was a tiny frog, folded on green paper with flowers on it; Cuddy smiled.

"For Marlena—" House murmured, producing a beautifully folded crane on soft grey paper with silver swirls.

"You, She-Beast—" Out came a delicate swan in blue paper with gold flecks.

"--And me," House muttered, adding a boar folded in heavy black paper. He carefully placed the offerings into the knot, out of the wind and sun, all of them crowded together in the tiny space, touching and leaning on each other.

Cuddy felt a squeeze in her chest at the sight. House, a man of almost no sentiment or respect; a man of fact over fancy, who often scorned the thought of any power higher than his own had managed to honor the day in exactly the right way.

She waited until he turned from the pine and reached up to cup his long, thin face in her hands. "You are . . . wonderful."

House looked puzzled, and slightly annoyed. "It took you this long to realize it?"

A flare shot through her, and Cuddy gave a sigh. "Let's just say you hide it very well."

After an elegant lunch hosted by Hinoshu and promises to meet up soon, it was naptime back at the bungalow. House sorely needed a chance to put up his legs, and Lily had grown fussy. The drowsy afternoon heat made napping easy, and by the time House woke, the light outside told him it was nearly four thirty.

He heard sounds from the bathroom.

Moving quietly, he reached for his cane and rose, following the sound of voices and splashing. As he pushed open the bathroom door, he stared.

Cuddy and Lily were in the tub together. The baby was delighted with the water, and was kicking it with energy, her small hands waving as Cuddy held her propped on one long, bare thigh. Cuddy herself had her hair pinned up, and was laughing at Lily's enthusiasm, her hands on the baby's rounded tummy,

House put the toilet lid down, sat, and watched them.


End file.
